26 Breakfast Tarts 4 small hen’s eggs 320-g (11-oz) pack pre-rolled puff pastry 150g (5oz) ricotta 20g (¾oz) Parmesan, grated zest and juice of ½ lemon 50g (1¾oz) fresh peas 100g (3½oz) asparagus spears, woody stems removed 4 spring onions (scallions), trimmed 1 baby gem lettuce, cut into wedges olive oil 6 slices prosciutto sea salt and freshly ground black pepper TAKES 50 minutes SERVES 4 SPRI NG VEGETABLE BRUNCH TAR T Soft-boil 3 of the eggs for 5–7 minutes. Run under a cold tap and peel. Place to one side until later. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Place the pastry on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Score a 2-cm (1-in) border around the edge of the pastry and a criss-cross pattern in the centre. Be careful not to go through the pastry. Beat the remaining egg in a mug and brush over the pastry. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Gently push down the centre of the pastry with the back of a spoon. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the Parmesan and lemon zest and juice then dot this over the centre of the pastry and bake for a further 15 minutes. Preheat a chargrill pan over a high heat. Boil the peas for 2 minutes then drain. Drizzle the asparagus, spring onions and lettuce with a little olive oil and griddle in batches until everything is nicely charred. Place to one side. Turn down the heat and griddle the prosciutto for a minute on each side until crisp. Spoon the peas over the ricotta and arrange the vegetables and prosciutto over the base. Halve the eggs and nestle them among the vegetables. Season and serve the tart drizzled with olive oil. Sweet, crunchy veg, smooth ricotta and crisp prosciutto – a perfect combo! Leave the pastry sheet out of the fridge for 5 minutes before unfolding so that it doesn’t crack. 27 Breakfast Tarts h X26 Breakfast Tarts 4 small hen’s eggs 320-g (11-oz) pack pre-rolled puff pastry 150g (5oz) ricotta 20g (¾oz) Parmesan, grated zest and juice of ½ lemon 50g (1¾oz) fresh peas 100g (3½oz) asparagus spears, woody stems removed 4 spring onions (scallions), trimmed 1 baby gem lettuce, cut into wedges olive oil 6 slices prosciutto sea salt and freshly ground black pepper TAKES 50 minutes SERVES 4 SPRI NG VEGETABLE BRUNCH TAR T Soft-boil 3 of the eggs for 5–7 minutes. Run under a cold tap and peel. Place to one side until later. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Place the pastry on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Score a 2-cm (1-in) border around the edge of the pastry and a criss-cross pattern in the centre. Be careful not to go through the pastry. Beat the remaining egg in a mug and brush over the pastry. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Gently push down the centre of the pastry with the back of a spoon. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the Parmesan and lemon zest and juice then dot this over the centre of the pastry and bake for a further 15 minutes. Preheat a chargrill pan over a high heat. Boil the peas for 2 minutes then drain. Drizzle the asparagus, spring onions and lettuce with a little olive oil and griddle in batches until everything is nicely charred. Place to one side. Turn down the heat and griddle the prosciutto for a minute on each side until crisp. Spoon the peas over the ricotta and arrange the vegetables and prosciutto over the base. Halve the eggs and nestle them among the vegetables. Season and serve the tart drizzled with olive oil. Sweet, crunchy veg, smooth ricotta and crisp prosciutto – a perfect combo! Leave the pastry sheet out of the fridge for 5 minutes before unfolding so that it doesn’t crack. 27 Breakfast Tarts h Xh X 2 bay leaves 500ml (17½fl oz) milk 7 black peppercorns 1 small onion, peeled and halved 200g (7oz) smoked haddock fillets, skin on and pin boned 1 garlic clove, crushed 55g (2oz) unsalted butter 60g (2¼oz) baby leaf spinach 20g (¾oz) plain (all-purpose) flour 50g (1¾oz) Cheddar cheese 75g (2½oz) raw, shelled king prawns (jumbo shrimp), cut in half four 40 x 30-cm (16 x 12-in) filo pastry sheets 3 tbsp olive oil a few chives, roughly chopped TAKES 45 minutes SERVES 12 (as a starter) HAD DOCK, PRAWN & SPINA CH FIL O TAR T S Place the bay leaves, milk, peppercorns, onion and smoked haddock in a frying pan. Over a medium heat, allow the milk to come up to a slow bubble. Poach the fish for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the fish to sit in the milk for a few minutes. Place the garlic in a medium frying pan, add 15g (1 tbsp) of the butter and place over a low heat. Let the butter melt and gently cook for 3 minutes then tip the garlic butter into a small bowl and place to one side. Pop the spinach into the saucepan, turn up the heat a little and stir the until wilted. Spoon into a clean muslin or dish cloth and squeeze the liquid out of the spinach. Chop up, then tip into a large bowl, stir in the garlic butter and place to one side. A light starter that can be made into one large tart using a 25-cm (10-in) tart tin. You can swap the smoked haddock for salmon fillet if you fancy; the poaching time will be the same. Serve with a green salad and lemon wedges. 62 Seafood Tarts method continued overleaf...h X 2 bay leaves 500ml (17½fl oz) milk 7 black peppercorns 1 small onion, peeled and halved 200g (7oz) smoked haddock fillets, skin on and pin boned 1 garlic clove, crushed 55g (2oz) unsalted butter 60g (2¼oz) baby leaf spinach 20g (¾oz) plain (all-purpose) flour 50g (1¾oz) Cheddar cheese 75g (2½oz) raw, shelled king prawns (jumbo shrimp), cut in half four 40 x 30-cm (16 x 12-in) filo pastry sheets 3 tbsp olive oil a few chives, roughly chopped TAKES 45 minutes SERVES 12 (as a starter) HAD DOCK, PRAWN & SPINA CH FIL O TAR T S Place the bay leaves, milk, peppercorns, onion and smoked haddock in a frying pan. Over a medium heat, allow the milk to come up to a slow bubble. Poach the fish for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the fish to sit in the milk for a few minutes. Place the garlic in a medium frying pan, add 15g (1 tbsp) of the butter and place over a low heat. Let the butter melt and gently cook for 3 minutes then tip the garlic butter into a small bowl and place to one side. Pop the spinach into the saucepan, turn up the heat a little and stir the until wilted. Spoon into a clean muslin or dish cloth and squeeze the liquid out of the spinach. Chop up, then tip into a large bowl, stir in the garlic butter and place to one side. A light starter that can be made into one large tart using a 25-cm (10-in) tart tin. You can swap the smoked haddock for salmon fillet if you fancy; the poaching time will be the same. Serve with a green salad and lemon wedges. 62 Seafood Tarts method continued overleaf...Carefully remove the haddock from the milk, then peel off and discard the skin. Strain 350ml (12fl oz) of the milk through a sieve into a jug. In a clean saucepan add the remaining 40g (1½oz) butter and the flour, place over a low heat and stir until thickened and bubbling. Whisk in the reserved milk and stir over a low heat for about 5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, then stir in the Cheddar cheese and prawns. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Cut the filo sheets into 48 squares 10 x 10cm (4 x 4in). Take a 12-hole muffin tin and brush each hole with olive oil. Line each hole with one square of filo, brush the pastry with olive oil, layer another square of filo on top at an angle, brush with oil and repeat once more. Cover the remaining 12 filo squares with a lightly damp cloth to stop them drying out. Place the tin in the oven to bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Flake the haddock into chunks and fold it into the sauce with the spinach. Divide the mixture between each tart case. Take the remaining filo squares and gently scrunch them, then place one piece of scrunched-up filo on top of each tart. Brush the tops with a little olive oil and place the tin in the oven for 10 minutes until the tarts are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with a few chives on top. HADDOCK , PRA WN & SPINA CH FIL O TAR T S continued... 64 Seafood TartsCarefully remove the haddock from the milk, then peel off and discard the skin. Strain 350ml (12fl oz) of the milk through a sieve into a jug. In a clean saucepan add the remaining 40g (1½oz) butter and the flour, place over a low heat and stir until thickened and bubbling. Whisk in the reserved milk and stir over a low heat for about 5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, then stir in the Cheddar cheese and prawns. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Cut the filo sheets into 48 squares 10 x 10cm (4 x 4in). Take a 12-hole muffin tin and brush each hole with olive oil. Line each hole with one square of filo, brush the pastry with olive oil, layer another square of filo on top at an angle, brush with oil and repeat once more. Cover the remaining 12 filo squares with a lightly damp cloth to stop them drying out. Place the tin in the oven to bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Flake the haddock into chunks and fold it into the sauce with the spinach. Divide the mixture between each tart case. Take the remaining filo squares and gently scrunch them, then place one piece of scrunched-up filo on top of each tart. Brush the tops with a little olive oil and place the tin in the oven for 10 minutes until the tarts are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with a few chives on top. HADDOCK , PRA WN & SPINA CH FIL O TAR T S continued... 64 Seafood Tarts320-g (11-oz) pack pre-rolled puff pastry 1 medium dessert apple 1 lemon 2 small figs 100g (3½oz) mixed berries, such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) 1 tsp icing (confectioners’) sugar, plus extra for dusting 120ml (4fl oz) ready-made vanilla custard 2 tbsp ground almonds 1 egg, beaten TAKES 35 minutes SERVES 6 BERR Y, FIG & APPLE CUS TARD SLICE S Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Unroll the pastry sheet onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Cut the pastry into six 12-cm (5-in) squares. Score a rough 2-cm (¾-in) border around the edge of each square. Thinly slice the apple into rounds, drizzle with a little lemon juice and toss together in a bowl. Thinly slice the figs and add to the bowl. Place the berries in another small bowl and toss with the cornflour and icing sugar. Mix the vanilla custard with the ground almonds in a bowl. Divide this mixture between the pastries and spread over the centre of each in a thin even layer. Arrange the apple slices and berries on top and sprinkle with a little more icing sugar. Brush the egg over the pastry border and place the slices in the oven for 15–20 minutes until golden and risen. Serve immediately with another dusting of icing sugar. These little pastries are so easy to make and can be served for breakfast, brunch or tea. Try different fruit combinations, and add a little spoonful of jam each if you fancy. 145 Fruit Tarts h X320-g (11-oz) pack pre-rolled puff pastry 1 medium dessert apple 1 lemon 2 small figs 100g (3½oz) mixed berries, such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) 1 tsp icing (confectioners’) sugar, plus extra for dusting 120ml (4fl oz) ready-made vanilla custard 2 tbsp ground almonds 1 egg, beaten TAKES 35 minutes SERVES 6 BERR Y, FIG & APPLE CUS TARD SLICE S Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Unroll the pastry sheet onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Cut the pastry into six 12-cm (5-in) squares. Score a rough 2-cm (¾-in) border around the edge of each square. Thinly slice the apple into rounds, drizzle with a little lemon juice and toss together in a bowl. Thinly slice the figs and add to the bowl. Place the berries in another small bowl and toss with the cornflour and icing sugar. Mix the vanilla custard with the ground almonds in a bowl. Divide this mixture between the pastries and spread over the centre of each in a thin even layer. Arrange the apple slices and berries on top and sprinkle with a little more icing sugar. Brush the egg over the pastry border and place the slices in the oven for 15–20 minutes until golden and risen. Serve immediately with another dusting of icing sugar. These little pastries are so easy to make and can be served for breakfast, brunch or tea. Try different fruit combinations, and add a little spoonful of jam each if you fancy. 145 Fruit Tarts h XNext >